10.6GW! A good potential market

The Victorian state government of Australia detailed a new decarbonization plan on August 21, aiming to introduce about 7.6GW of rooftop PV by 2035, in addition to 3GW of large-scale PV power station projects.

The report, Cheaper, Cleaner, Renewable: Our Plan for Victoria’s Electricity Future, outlines the actions the Victorian Government is taking to ensure it meets its renewable energy targets, including a target of 65 per cent renewable energy in the electricity mix by 2030 and 95 per cent by 2035. Currently, about 38 per cent of Victoria’s electricity comes from renewable generation.

PV features prominently in Victoria’s decarbonisation plans. In fact, Victoria is targeting about 7.6GW of new rooftop PV capacity by 2035.

Victoria’s rooftop PV market continues to grow, thanks to the state’s push for homes and businesses.

The most noteworthy is the "Solar Homes" program. The program provides a rebate program to encourage rooftop photovoltaic projects. The Victorian government revealed on August 15 that since the launch of the program, it has helped install 2GW of photovoltaic systems.

The projects delivered by this program account for 13% of Victoria's total renewable energy, and its solar panels have accumulated a total power generation of 6.5GWh. About 330,000 photovoltaic panels, hot water and solar battery systems have been installed through the rebate program.

The target for large-scale ground photovoltaics is 3GW; the target for energy storage is 6.3GW

In addition to rooftop photovoltaics, Victoria is also focusing on the opportunities brought by large-scale renewable energy power.

The report also breaks down this goal into different technologies. Victoria's renewable energy target is to reach an installed capacity of 12.7GW, including 9.7GW of onshore wind power and 3GW of large-scale photovoltaic power stations.

The report also mentions energy storage technology, and Victoria is ambitiously expanding the scale of variable energy generation. In order to maintain grid stability and provide flexible services, the state government aims to have at least 6.3GW of energy storage throughout Victoria.

Large-scale transmission projects will provide a welcome boost to decarbonization

It should also be noted that Victoria will benefit from three large-scale transmission and interconnection projects being developed in the National Electricity Market. The first to be launched is the Western Renewables Link project, which is expected to be connected to the grid in 2027.

The Western Renewables Link project is a proposed new overhead high-voltage transmission line, 190 kilometers long. The line will transmit renewable energy from Bulgana in western Victoria to Sydenham in northwest Melbourne.

Two years later, in 2029, the government expects the 1.7GW Victorian Transmission Network (VNI West) to be commissioned, which will provide additional transmission capacity between Victoria and neighboring New South Wales. The proposed 500kV double-circuit transmission line will connect the two high-voltage grids.

The final interconnector is the 750MW Marinus Link line connecting Victoria and Tasmania, with the first stage expected to be commissioned in 2030. When fully operational, the link will have a capacity of 1.5GW, allowing green hydroelectricity to be exported to the mainland grid when needed, reducing the risk of blackouts. Similarly, Tasmania will see an increase in photovoltaic power transmitted from the mainland.

Victorian Energy and Resources Minister Lily

D'Ambrosio said the comprehensive plan would ensure communities and industry were at the center of the energy transition.

"We will provide an affordable, reliable and secure electricity system for all Victorians. We mean business. We are vigorously advancing renewable energy construction and creating and maintaining the right conditions for renewable energy investment," D'Ambrosio added.